Bus company owner found guilty on maintenance charge

The owner of the bus company whose bus caught fire and killed 23 nursing home residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita, was found guilty of maintenance and inspection charges.

James Maples, a former NFL player, could face a sentence of up to two years in prison and more than $1 million in fines. The bus company, Global Limo Inc. was convicted of failing to maintain its buses and follow inspection regulations.

The bus was carrying passengers from Houston's Brighton Gardens nursing home to Dallas when oxygen tanks exploded, fueling the fire. Earlier this year, Global Limo, and BusBank, which hired Global Limo, agreed to a settlement of $11 million with survivors and the families of residents who died.

About 60,000 elderly or disabled Medicaid recipients in Louisiana are being told they should expect to lose their benefits in July, and advocates say more than a quarter of them could be forced out of the long-term care facilities they call home.